The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Hawkeyes top Cyclones in overtime classic

Iowa+players+celebrate+with+the+Cy-Hawk+trophy+during+the+Iowa%2FIowa+State+game+for+the+Cy-Hawk+trophy+in+Jack+Trice+Stadium+on+Saturday%2C+Sept.+9.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Cyclones%2C+44-41%2C+in+overtime.+%28Joseph+Cress%2FThe+Daily+Iowan%29
The Daily Iowan; Photos by Joseph Cress
Iowa players celebrate with the Cy-Hawk trophy during the Iowa/Iowa State game for the Cy-Hawk trophy in Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones, 44-41, in overtime. (Joseph Cress/The Daily Iowan)

By Carter Melrose | [email protected]

 

AMES — A classic display of football rivalry filled Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 9 in the 2017 Cy-Hawk game. Back and forth the bitter archrivals scrapped, using plays that either went for 20-plus yards or zero; there were not many that fell in between. In a game that required overtime, 9 passing touchdowns were showcased, and the Hawkeyes escaped with a 44-41 victory.

“Every year, there’s a lot of hype to talk about this game,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Today, this game lived up to all that hype.”

In overtime, Iowa held Iowa State to field goal. Then, in came sophomore quarterback Nate Stanley in his second career start, in front of 61,000 fans, staring down a sea of red.

“Last week, I don’t know if you noticed, he looked tight at times,” Ferentz said afterward and chuckled.

The pressure didn’t faze him; he heaved a bullet to Ihmir Smith-Marsette for the game-sealing touchdown.

“It was a play we ran all week in practice; we just came out and executed it,” Stanley said.

A team finally started to pull away in the third quarter, but it was not the Hawkeyes. Iowa State, fueled by the ever-enthusiastic crowd, scored 21 unanswered points and went up 31-21. Iowa State quarterback Jacob Park discovered swagger, and unlike earlier in the contest, his giant wide receivers caught nearly every ball thrown their way.

It was a tough outing for Iowa’s secondary.

“We just had to keep fighting,” Hawkeye DB Josh Jackson said. “You have to rely on your teammates.”

The epitome of this narrative came when Park threw a high pass between the safeties, and wide receiver Matthew Eaton took a bombshell of a hit from Iowa’s Jake Gervase but secured the catch.

Though down by 10 points with around 11 minutes to play, Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz did not panic. He stuck to the tried-and-true game plan: give the football to Akrum Wadley. Setting Wadley up on screen passes, dives up the middle, and sweeps to the weak side, Iowa drove down the field and responded quickly with a Smith-Marsette 15-yard touchdown catch.

“There were a couple calls he made that I would have second-guessed, except they worked,” Kirk Ferentz said about his offensive coordinator.

Moments later, Parker Hesse intercepted a poorly placed Park pass at the line of scrimmage. The Hawkeyes then tied the game at 31 with five minutes to go, promising a finish that could reinvigorate the Cy-Hawk Series.

Maybe the sheer amount of chunk yardage given up didn’t sink Iowa, but Hakeem Butler’s 74-yard touchdown catch sure seemed like a lethal blow. Butler’s double-move on the touchdown play was so precisely executed that when he finally caught the ball, there was not a Hawkeye closer than 5 yards.

On the final drive of regulation for the Hawkeyes, Wadley took a routine crossing route for a 46-yard touchdown through, around, and between defenders on a highlight-filled, ankle-breaking journey. It proved again how important Wadley is to the young Iowa offense, and it sent the game into overtime.

“You saw the game last week where the defense bailed us out,” Wadley said. “Now, we bailed the defense out; it’s a team thing.”

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